


Hazard

by Fen_Assan



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Banter, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Humour, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship, Romance, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 13:17:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9493181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fen_Assan/pseuds/Fen_Assan
Summary: Shepard's recklessness gets her hurt - but ultimately brings her and Garrus together.





	

With careful continuous use of the micro-thrusters, Garrus took them through the jagged rocks intersected by pools of molten lava gently enough. Shepard was probably glad herself she had relinquished the Mako’s controls to him for this ride - the terrain was way too rough to fit her driving style. Besides, she had to patch up her arm - it had caught fire from the geth rocket drone during the ambush. 

“Damn it,” she swore, spreading the medi-gel over her right forearm.

“You alright, Shepard?” Garrus asked, his worry not well hidden. “Is the injury worse than you thought?” 

“Nah, there’ll be nothing for Dr. Chakwas to do when we get back, she’ll be disappointed,” she smirked, but a crease between her eyebrows remained. 

“Did it ever occur to you, Shepard, that your job does not necessarily consist of providing work for Dr. Chakwas?” he wondered, and was pleased to see Shepard smile in response, even though she was shaking her head at the same time. 

“I’m just angry we’d got ourselves into a trap,” her right hand clenched into a fist, providing visual support to her admission. 

“Not your fault. We had to check the distress signal,” Garrus offered in consolation. 

“Well, _you did_ have a bad feeling about it.”

“I did. But I don't think stalling a mission due to my “bad feeling” is a viable course of action, Shepard,” he gave a little smile. 

“Looking on the bright side, we did kill quite a few geth out there,” the quarian machinist chipped in from the back. 

“I like the way you think, Tali,” Shepard grinned. “It was a good fight. The feeling of taking down an armature is something.”

“Something slightly misplaced, Shepard,” Garrus pinpointed, “considering it was me who took the killing shot.”

“Like hell you did.”

“Wanna see the vid?” he gestured at his visor casually. 

“Damn you, Vakarian.” 

“Now-now, Shepard, you did contribute.” He loved teasing her, and her competitiveness made it easy - but still quite enjoyable, tempting even. Shepard in general was… tempting. Even more so after a good battle - when Garrus found himself so much bolder than usual. She squinted at him threateningly and proceeded to check something on her omni-tool. A small smile tugging at the corners of her lips did not go unnoticed. 

“I’m getting some interesting readings. Damn, this planet’s a treasure trove,” Shepard announced, swiping excitedly through the data. 

“Umm, did you also get a hit on the head, Commander?” Garrus asked tentatively, wondering if he was testing her patience now. 

“Mineralogically,” she glared at him. “There’s too much stuff here to pass it up.” 

“True,” Tali joined in, projecting her own findings. “There are deposits of both thorium and mercury nearby.”

“Right. Because Shepard can never have enough of her heavy metals,” Garrus chimed in, sliding the Mako into an impressively smooth turn.

“Thorium is rare,” Tali corrected him. “We could use it for ammo upgrades, for sniper rifles among other things,” she added with a little sting.

“Now you're just making me sound bad for not wanting to get out there in level 2 heat hazard, Tali,” Garrus smirked, already taking them to the coordinates flaring on the Mako’s display. 

“You don't have to go out if you aren't feeling like taking a stroll, dear Garrus,” Shepard stated, checking her omni-tool readings for the last time. “If Tali and I work together, the scanning will only take a minute or two.”

“Which could be more than you’ll have in…“

“Level 2 heat hazard atmosphere,” she finished instead of him. “Are you in league with my omni-tool? It keeps reminding me of the same damned thing,” she flashed him a smile, and grabbed her helmet. 

“No chance you two are going out alone. I say one ambush per day is enough. Someone has to watch your sixes out there.” Before putting her helmet on and heading out, Shepard snickered, and Tali giggled - unexplainably. Garrus shrugged and left the comfort of the environmentally sealed Mako for the current 168°C on the surface of Metgos. 

***

It all happened in a flash. Shepard and Tali were busy finding and marking the deposits, while Garrus stood guard scanning the surroundings for any signs of hostile activity. But when those signs did appear, it was nearly too late. 

Normally, a geth rocket trooper was easy to spot in his bright red armour - if the planet you were standing on did not consist entirely of jagged volcanic red rock so suited for their hiding. Garrus spotted the sole geth just as it shot a rocket their way. 

“Rocket incoming! Three o’clock!” he yelled, and immediately rushed towards the two women, pushing them away and down to the ground, his own body providing the cover. He was just in time: the rocket hit the rock formation in their close proximity, flushing them with the extra heat from the explosion and raining stones on their backs - mostly his. But at least none of them were seriously injured. 

Shepard got to her feet the very next moment and only cast a quick glance at Tali and Garrus to make sure they were largely unharmed. 

“It's going down!” she growled viciously and took off in the direction the rocket had been fired. 

“Shepard, don't!” Garrus yelled, but there was no stopping her. The geth was out of range of either Shepard’s biotics or her shotgun, but she was intent on wiping it out, so she propelled herself forward with a biotic push, disappearing in a bluish haze for a fraction of a second. 

“Damn you, Shepard, we could easily get it from the Mako, or I could just snipe it.” Garrus did something he nearly never did - he swore. He could not bear the fact that Shepard was risking her life out there, alone. He started running, lifting his sniper rifle to try and get a look through the cross hairs. Tali appeared to share his worry and joined him, only slowing him down as he had to pause to stop her. 

“Get in the Mako, Tali. Our armour’s about to overheat, and you're most vulnerable.” 

“But Shepard,” the quarian tried to protest.

“Get in there!” 

“Keelah,” she hissed, but ran towards the IFV. 

“Drive down there!” he ordered, his voice strained and his nerves on edge.

The meter in his own hardsuit showed the overheat was fast approaching the critical mark, and he swore again, knowing that Shepard’s armour would only protect her for another minute - at best. 

When he finally saw her behind a large rock, smoldering remains of the geth trooper lay in front of her as she reloaded, a thermal clip hitting the dust by her feet, soon followed by her own collapsing body. 

“Shepard!” 

He ignored his own hardsuit’s beeping in the boiling temperature, scooped her up into his arms and did something he never normally did again - asked the spirits for help to keep her safe. As he started running, Shepard’s head lolled to the side, and his heart sank. Just a few steps on he heard the crunch of the Mako’s wheels on the hard surface, and Tali’s voice in his comm. 

“I’ll help you her get her in!” 

“No!” he barked, “Drive!” 

Once inside, he tried to make Shepard’s unconscious body at least somewhat comfortable in the cramped space at the back of the vehicle, and continued yelling, this time at his omni-tool. 

“Joker, come in! This is Vakarian. We need an urgent pick-up!” 

“Copy that. Vakarian?” Joker’s voice sounded apprehensive - as it should have. 

“Shepard’s down. I’m sending you our coordinates. Tali will find a smooth spot for you,” he gave out orders, clicking on the virtual keyboard, shifting data. “Have Dr. Chakwas on stand-by.” 

“She already is. Patching her through,” Joker replied. He was dependable. 

“Dr. Chakwas here. What's Shepard’s status?”

“Most vital signs are off the normal range but all affirmative,” Garrus swiped his omni-tool over Shepard’s body trying to gather as much data as possible. “I can't do anything from here except stabilise her suit environment. This is not something our medi-gel will fix,” he said desperately. 

“You're doing everything you can already, Garrus. Tell me her readings,” the doctor stated calmly. How could she be so calm? This was Shepard, and she was probably dying. “Vakarian,” she insisted.

“Yes, doctor,” he blocked out everything else - thoughts, emotions, blind panic, and focused on what he could do. “Severe hyperthermia, she's unconscious, heart rate…”

***

He was pacing the length of the mess hall, keeping an eye on the door to the med bay which remained closed for too long. Way too long. The Commander’s incident had not been announced, but the squad members knew. Tali was sitting in the corner, her expression impossible to read under the helmet, but body language clearly displaying her concern. Liara was bombarding her with questions. 

“Leave her alone, Dr. T’Soni. We're all waiting to know if Shepard makes it, and we’re all nervous,” he finally interfered, quite rudely probably, if nothing else - to have something to do with himself. 

“I was only trying to piece together what happened,” the asari answered defensively. 

_I failed her_ , Garrus thought. And then, _It was just Shepard being Shepard._ Before he could say anything though, the med bay door sighed open, letting Dr. Chakwas out. Garrus could have imagined it, but he thought she looked at him before making the announcement. 

“Commander Shepard will be alright.” Garrus released his breath which had been trapped for who knew how long. “She received some burns, was dehydrated, and had a wound on her arm, which I managed to patch up successfully. She’ll be weak for a while, so she needs rest.” The last sentence sounded as a warning to everyone - and it likely was as the doctor looked sternly at all Shepard’s companions crowding in front of the entrance to the med bay. “Now let’s take care of you, Vakarian.”

“What? Sorry, what?” 

“Come with me,” the doctor nodded towards the med bay and added to everyone else, “I believe everyone can safely return to their duties.” Even being a medic, the woman did have a knack for the military. 

As he entered, his concern for Shepard overrode any wonder about the need for himself to be examined. He saw her lie asleep, the monitor next to her bleeping regularly. She looked alright. Flushed in the face, exhausted, but alright. 

Dr. Chakwas pushed him gently onto a chair nearby and started taking measurements without asking him to turn away from Shepard. He finally faced her when the examination of the back of his neck resulted in a shooting pain. 

“Did you not feel this until now?” the doctor rounded her eyes. 

“No. Not really,” he shook his head. “It’s nothing, I’ve seen worse.” He felt awkward receiving the attention when Shepard was not yet completely healed. He stole another look at her. Dr. Chakwas put her hands on his shoulders as she stood in front of him to get his attention.

“She will be fine.” 

He sighed, unsure if it was with relief or guilt. 

“I feel like I failed to protect her,” he uttered barely audibly, but aloud - to his own astonishment. 

“From what I hear, you saved her life there. At least twice,” the doctor gave him an unexpected smile. “Thank you for that, Garrus.” Had it been possible for a turian, he would have blushed. 

“Dr. Chakwas,” he cleared his throat, feeling increasingly stupid - or crazy, but thinking he likely had little to lose. “Can I stay here for a bit? You know, to keep an eye on the Commander.” After a long scrutinising look, the doctor relented.

“You could use some rest yourself,” she nodded at one of the hospital cots. “It's yours. For a couple of hours.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” he cringed as she punched a syringe into his shoulder. 

“To make sure there's no infection,” she explained, giving him two brief pats on the shoulder before heading out to the lab. 

There was no knowing how long it would last, but Garrus felt grateful for that moment of granted privacy. He stood by Shepard’s cot, searching her face for any sign of… he did not even know what. He only knew he had to look at her, needed to. 

“Shepard,” he whispered, not actually addressing her, not really, “you reckless, crazy, amazing idiot. You could’ve died there.” He felt his throat tighten as he was finally able to comprehend the truth and the weight of that. A sound somewhere between a moan and groan escaped Shepard’s lips. 

“That's why I had you there to save my ass,” she slurred, rubbing a hand at her face and finally opening her eyes - with apparent difficulty, shading them from the light, and smiled. The motion had her dried upper lip crack, a thin trickle of blood colouring it crimson. “Smiling isn't good for me, I guess,” she complained, pressing her lips together. Garrus poured and handed her a glass of water. 

“Or, this might be a small but just punishment for your behaviour out there,” he said. Despite the state of her lips, she smiled again and licked them. His heart suddenly fluttered like a caged bird. “How are you feeling, Shepard?” _I could have lost you_ , he thought. “We could have lost you,” he said. 

“I’ll be fine in no time,” she assured, shaking her head - and wincing immediately. “Hell of a headache right now though. And my skin is all, ugh,” she tried to sit up and flexed her arm. “I feel too… tender.”

“Well that's not a description of you many would agree with,” Garrus suggested. 

“And they’d be right,” she smiled again, the tiny wound on her lip still bleeding. 

“Here,” he gave her a tube of medi-gel, which she carefully spread on her lips. And then put more on her hands. And then some on the exposed skin of her forearms. “Shepard? Are you feeling ok?” he wondered, worried. 

“Ugh, my skin stings like hell. Just need to sooth it a bit.”

“I don't think it's a good idea. You’ve received proper treatment already, it will just take some time.”

“Oh come on, Garrus. An overdose of medi-gel has never killed anyone. Will make me jumpy at most.” 

“Not a good idea for you to be jumpy right now,” he warned. “Let me get Dr. Chakwas,” he said, turning towards the lab.

“Why don't you rather help me rub this in?” 

It was a question - both what and how she said it - which required him to look at her. In that brief moment she had managed to pull her shirt off, and was now sitting on the cot in something Garrus would admit he knew was a human bra - only because he had done some research. He froze. She was nearly naked - the upper part of her body was, not counting one sleeve of her shirt still on her arm - and the sight and the fact seemed too much to comprehend.

She was his Commander. She was human. And she had pale skin which was now flushed the gentlest pink. And her short red hair was messed up. And she had a tattoo below the soft swell of her right breast. 

The door opened while he stood there staring, trying to calm his breathing and figure out what was going on, but not the lab door - the med bay door. Tali, Wrex, and Liara froze right there. 

“Not sure how it goes with humans, but I guess Commander’s feeling ok to be showing the turian her boobs,” Wrex stated, not even trying to avert his gaze. 

“I’m sure she was just showing him her… scars,” Tali suggested hopefully. 

“We're glad you're well, Commander,” Liara uttered, giving Garrus a look of mixed disdain and envy. 

“Thanks, guys,” Shepard grinned, pulling her shirt back on, seeming unbelievably and impossibly unperturbed. So much that Garrus started wondering if he simply imagined - or hallucinated - what had just happened. 

“I’ll let you rest, Commander,” he said, finally gathering the courage to look straight at her before retreating. 

“Garrus. Thank you.”

***

It was days later, when Shepard was fully back to her prime condition, that Garrus caught her alone - entirely accidentally: she hopped into the elevator just as he had punched the button for the engineering deck. 

“Garrus,” she smiled happily. 

“Shepard.” 

“How’s it going?” she asked, unusually for her slightly nervously. He was nervous too. But he had to know. 

“Good - good. I… I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

“That tattoo…” He clearly saw the moment she held her breath. 

“Yes?” 

“What is it of? I’m… afraid I didn't really catch that.” She exhaled loudly through her nose, smiled, and traced her fingers over the terminal. The elevator stopped. 

“I’d be happy to explain, Garrus. But wouldn’t it be better if I showed you?” 

“Ahh. Yes… Visual input is helpful in most explanations,” he started to feel lightheaded in the confines of the elevator as she approached. 

Shepard reached her hand to caress the plates on his cheek. Her touch felt both soothing and electrifying. It was madness. 

“You talk too much,” she chided, before touching the same spot with her lips. 

“If you continue doing this, I will definitely shut up. Definitely.”

She smiled and cupped his face in her hands. 

“Garrus.” What he saw in her big green eyes must have been the reflection of what she saw in his. He lifted his hand to touch her incredibly soft - even though marked by a few scars - cheek, and to push a few strands of copper-red hair behind her ear.

“Shepard.” 

Their foreheads touched as they stood still and silent for a moment. 

“Garrus, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Do you really have a vid of taking down that armature?”

He had to laugh.

“No.”

“So you were just messing with me,” she grinned.

“Yes.”

“I like you, Garrus Vakarian,” she said when their eyes met again and his hands settled on her waist.

“I… like you too, Commander Shepard.” She gave him a look he could describe as inviting, alluring, promising, and dangerous. That was exactly what she was, he realised - a hazard. He smiled. “I really, really like you. Jane.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I appreciate all the comments and kudos a lot, and will be happy to know what you think. :)


End file.
